Betrayal and Trust
by AvidFan123
Summary: My first ever FanFic! Please review. Vlad's Council are challenging him to prove he deserves to lead them, but they are not all on his side ... Please read and let me know what you think! Will be roughly 30 chapters.
1. Blind Battle

Chapter ONE

Blind Battle

Erin watched anxiously as Vlad turned, staring into the deep corners of every room. There were only two people in the room, him and Bertrand. This he knew and he also knew it was a test. The sealed blindfold proved that. He couldn't take it off unless he had permission from Bertrand or the Count. Hearing a slight squeak of a shoe that would never have been picked up by even a normal vampire's ears, Vlad whipped around and sped towards where he assumed Bertrand was. As he collided with something cold, Vlad smiled. It wasn't a smile of joy, it was a smile of confidence. Taking half a step back, Vlad held on tightly to Bertrand; if Bertrand vanished now, there was no telling how long it could take Vlad to find him again. Being blindfolded was starting to seriously affect Vlad, he had never realised how much he took it for granted.

Aiming a swift punch at where he thought Bertrand's stomach must be, Vlad paused as he heard a rustle and felt the slightest breeze that told him where Bertrand was aiming. Ducking instinctively, Vlad continued his punch. As his fist connected with its target, Vlad felt the room freeze. Not through any hypnosis, through sheer shock. Vlad was desperate to pull off his blindfold, but knew that would appear weak to his audience. Instead, he closed his eyes behind the blindfold and let his other senses take control. By feeling the patterns in the air, Vlad could anticipate every move Bertrand made.

Letting out a low growl, Vlad stumbled back slightly as he failed to block one blow. He wasn't completely disheartened though, he had managed to block every other flying foot or fist he had sensed coming in his direction. The ironic thing was, this was all Bertrand and the Count's idea. They had decided Vlad was getting to good (though they hadn't actually said that) and that he needed to learn with a range of disabilities. As his 18th Birthday was coming up, he knew it was also a test in front of his future council, who were seven vampires who would serve under him until they thought he had 'found his feet'. He knew they were in a room just off to the side with the Count, Ingrid and Erin. That was why he hadn't already beaten Bertrand: He didn't know the arena.

Pushing all thoughts of the council's eyes out of his mind, Vlad focussed solely on the task at hand: defeating Bertrand. This fight had already gone on far too long, so he ended it. No one (especially himself) would forgive him if he killed Bertrand, and obviously Bertrand wasn't allowed to kill him, so they had simply agreed on whoever made the other powerless won. As the other rules had also included something about not using any powers other than speed and senses, this basically meant pin them to the floor so they can't get up. With a loud roar, Vlad gave up on parrying every one of Bertrand's blows, and simply jumped on top of him. Vlad was surprised it worked. After a few seconds of struggling, Bertrand realised Vlad wasn't going to get off of him. So he gave up and said clearly, "All right Vlad, you win."

Chapter ONE


	2. Impossible

Chapter TWO

Impossible

Vlad grinned and stood up, offering Bertrand a hand up. Bertrand accepted it, then quickly reached forward and untied the blindfold. Vlad blinked quickly, trying to get his eyes to adapt to the sudden change in light before the council barged in. He stared around the unknown training room of Baltso Fortress, home of Dartivir, a member of the Council.

The council all rushed in at once, only to find Vlad standing calmly as if nothing had happened. All but Erin stared at him in shock, eyes wide. He knew why they were so shocked: While vampires had better senses than breathers, any one of them struggled without their sight. Some vampires had killed themselves when they went blind because it was too hard. To find Vlad had managed to cope without both impressed and terrified the council. It showed how strong he was, how quick to adapt to change. But there was another reason too. Why wasn't Vlad tired in the slightest? Anyone else would have collapsed by now. Instead, the council watched as Vlad pulled the older, trainer man (they weren't concerned to find out his name) to his feet as easily as if he had just been watching with the rest of them, and he wasn't even asking to sit down. They had no doubt he could repeat the feat a few times over.

By now Vlad's blindfold was off, and he had dashed towards the slayer girl. He smiled straight back at their amazed faces with a slight frown as well, obviously slightly confused at what he saw. To him, the challenge of fighting without his sight had been interesting. He hadn't done it before, but it was a good idea. He had never relied completely on his other senses, and the difference had startled him for a few seconds, but it wasn't all that different. Many vampires completely relied on their improved sight, but his other senses were just as good, so he focused on them as well. Since he hadn't really tried in his lessons, even Bertrand didn't know how Vlad would cope, but he should at least have struggled.

The owner of the Fortress, Dartivir, announced to the room that there would be a meeting in his dining room. Then he turned to address Vlad, obviously slightly reverent after the display of power he had just seen. "You can find appropriate attire in your room, sire." He continued talking to Vlad, "And if you wish, I propose we have the meeting in half an hour, at midnight." Vlad nodded at him,

After showering and changing into 'appropriate attire' Vlad left 'his' room and nearly walked into the Count and Bertrand who were waiting outside his door. They both smiled simultaneously, and Bertrand congratulated Vlad, saying, "Most vampires can barely walk without their sight. We have to work on this; you could have a great advantage if we find a way of making it pitch black in your battles." The Count was also saying, "Well _done_ Vladdy! Now you just have to show them who's the boss in this meeting, then we can all go home." Vlad laughed and shook his head. "Come on." He said, still grinning. He walked briskly through the corridors, only stopping once he got to the set of double doors where the meeting was being held. He raised an eyebrow at the two following him, then slowly pushed the doors open.

Chapter TWO


	3. Council Meeting

Chapter THREE

Council Meeting

Before him was the council, chattering loudly. They stopped as soon as they saw Vlad. They all stared at him as if he was something in the zoo, and he quickly found himself becoming uncomfortable. He sat down quickly, and they all looked like they were trying to appear sophisticated, except for Dartivir who smiled warmly at Vlad. Gratefully, Vlad smiled back, but did it discreetly, so as not to draw attention to it.

As he sat down, Bertrand, who was standing behind him, leaned forward and quickly handed him a folder. Vlad gave him a confused look before opening it. He looked through the currency tables and other official documents until he found one he thought was useful: An overview of the characters of the Council. Bertrand had already shown Vlad this, but it was different with the people sitting in front of him. The last time, Bertrand had told Vlad to go with his head over what these said, as they were over 200 years old.

**ELAU:** Known to be against the Chosen One, good friends with Romanga and Patrick. Untrustworthy, Deceitful, accepts bribery, never does what he is told, outspoken in Council meetings, aged around 500 lives at Hordrigg Castle.

**ROMANGA:**Known to be against the Chosen One, good friends with Elau and Patrick. Untrustworthy, Deceitful, doesn't accept bribery, never does what he is told, outspoken in Council meetings, aged around 500 lives in Clarn Fort

**PATRICK:**Known to be against the Chosen One, good friends with Romanga and Elau. Untrustworthy, Deceitful, accepts bribery, never does what he is told, outspoken in Council meetings, aged around 500 lives at Tornbury Castle

**DARTIVIR:**Known supporter of the Chosen One, a good friend of Ereterni. Glad to do his duty, accepts being told what to do, does not accept bribery, aged around 250. Lives at Baltso Fortress.

**ERETERNI:**Support unknown, good friend of Dartivir, considers what he thinks best rather than do as he is told, asks for reasons often, deep sense of honour, cannot keep secrets, accepts bribery, aged around 400, lives at Riverdale keep.

**LILOGAE:**Known to support the Chosen One, a good friend of Prem Yuong, will help when asked, but does not take the initiative often. Trustworthy, can keep things to himself, slow on the uptake, aged around 550. Lives at Adwick hold

**PREM YUONG:**Supports Chosen One, does not take well to being told what to do, accepts bribery, untrustworthy, deceitful, good friend of Lilogae, and never takes someone's word for anything, aged around 600. Lives at Wenchcombe Keep.

As he read through the files, Vlad eyed each of them up discreetly. He nodded slightly to himself at the descriptions of Romanga, Elau and Patrick. He couldn't trust any of them. He already knew the character of Romanga, and the three were all whispering excitedly. He could probably assume they were all similar. Placing the file down carefully, and turns his ears to what the council are saying. As he hears what it is, he stops. They're talking about him.


	4. Warned

Chapter FOUR

Bullies

They're talking about his power. Vlad is uncomfortable, but doesn't know how to steer them away from the subject. He decides to play along … for now. The three men, Elau, Romanga and Patrick, keep acting like Vlad is just a baby and can't understand. The conversation starts drifting towards how powerful or not Vlad is, and Vlad ends up in a one-on-one argument against him. First they suggest Vlad isn't ready to rule, maybe he should wait a hundred years? They say it mockingly, Vlad didn't want the power anyway, but none of them can know that. He stands up, prepared to show just how 'ready' he was, when a nudge in the back of his head caught his attention. Automatically, Vlad threw up his mental barriers, before realising it was Bertrand and letting him in. _'Vlad, what are you doing?' _The voice asked. _You know that this is what they want. They don't mean you haven't got a clue about how to rule, they mean you don't have control over your powers. _Vlad showed Bertrand an image of what he was going to do. _Oh, okay you can do that, but no more, okay?_ Vlad felt Bertrand smile mentally. After settling on an agreement, Bertrand left Vlad's mind, leaving him to do whatever he wanted.

Taking another step forward and lowering his head, everyone stared at him for a moment before he started speaking. Lowering your head was seen as putting yourself into the weakest position possible, as it exposed your throat more. Ingrid could have laughed. She doubted Vlad even knew this, but the family knew he was trying to keep control. After a few moments, when it seemed to them that he had kept in control, Vlad dropped his voice until everyone in the room was straining to hear him. "I will become Grand High Vampire. There's nothing you can do about that. Even if you found a loophole in the law, you know vampire kind would start asking awkward questions. I deeply hope you will think through what you are saying. Who will lead Vampire kind? Not one of you, as that is against the law." Vlad paused for just a second, and slowly looked up. His eyes were the purest black, without the slight taint that all vampires' eyes had. Everyone's eyes widened in a mixture of horror and shock. They had seen the power contained within the boy, and angering him could lead nowhere good. "Consider this a warning." He continued. "I refuse to punish you yet, but this _is_ your final chance." The council nodded meekly. His black eyes displayed how seriously he meant this speech. No vampires could turn their eyes black on will, not even Vlad … at least they didn't think so.

Later, still talking about Vlad's power, Patrick suggests very quietly that they take Vlad's power away and share it among the council? That way they can 'remove the burden of responsibility' from Vlad's shoulders, and answer any 'awkward questions' truthfully. Also, maybe he isn't as strong as they made him out to be? Maybe the fight was set up. Ramanga and Elau join in, adding the points that they knew how to do this, and also suggesting they kick him off the council completely, but take every drop of power. Yes, it would kill him, but isn't the death of one vampire worth the gain of many? Some of the council actually scrape their chairs away from the table at this, clearly fearing Vlad's wrath. Once again, Vlad stood up. This time, he makes no effort to control himself. "I warned you." He said, almost regretfully, before he threw out a hand, and the three men flew straight into the wall behind Vlad, successfully paralysing them.

While they came round to their senses, Vlad had spoken to the council about involving the slayers in all important decisions, knowing Elau, Romanga and Patrick could hear and understand, but not respond. Eventually, Patrick came round, but kept quiet. He snuck behind Vlad's throne, and lifted a stake above his head.

Chapter FOUR


	5. Ready Or Not

**_FINALLY! They are putting Young Dracula on TWICE a week! They've finally seen sense. Okay, so this is Chapter five, (obviously), I know it's early, but I've already written out a plan for this whole story, and also a sequel if anyone wants it. I won't decide until a little later in the story, but then I will need to know. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. AF xx_**

Chapter FIVE

Ready Or Not

Suddenly, Vlad dropped the pretence. He stood up and turned. Patrick's eyes widened dramatically as he realised he'd been caught with a stake raised over the Grand High Vampire. Vlad's face darkened and his eyes turned black, not quite completely though, Patrick could see a slight tinge of blue-green. Vlad didn't move in the slightest, but the council members, table and chairs all gently floated safely out of the way, along with the Count, Bertrand, Ingrid and Erin. Vlad blinked and the stake burst into flame, being incinerated in under a second. The hall was deadly silent, as everyone watched how the young vampire would take this. In a booming voice that shook the hall, Vlad said 'I warned you. Now, I am going to ask you this only once: Do you want to challenge me? For if you do, we can do it right here, right now, but otherwise, I think you should stop trying get rid of me. Don't you?'

Vlad laughed as Ramanga spat and told him they wished to challenge him. Vlad didn't seem the slightest bit out of control, in fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying himself. Everyone agreed that Vlad had to let them each make a move first without retaliating, so he watched as Patrick made a fireball in the palm of his hand, which was strong for any normal vampire. Vlad laughed loudly when his challenger threw it at him and missed completely, and Vlad vanished. One of Vlad's powers was being a great deal faster than other vampires. He was running in circles around them, but they couldn't see him, not even a blur. They all jumped when Vlad's booming voice echoed around the hall: "Do you regret challenging me yet? … No? Well, we'll soon change that, won't we?"

The whole time, they were staring round the room, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. Abruptly, the constant whir of footsteps stopped, and Vlad appeared directly in front of him. This time, he cocked his head to the side expectantly, and Ramanga, with an obvious show of effort, dashed towards Vlad with his arms outstretched. He chased Vlad round and round, following the laughter at the older vampire's stupidity. Vlad almost would have forced Ramanga to stop, but that would be seen as cowardice as it was against the temporary rules. Instead, Vlad just ran round and round until ramanga gave up, exhausted. As soon as he did, Vlad stopped running, and just stared at Elau. Yet again, he wasn't tired in the slightest. Elau raised a trembling hand and a weak fireball appeared there. Vlad flicked a wrist without even looking at it, and the fireball vanished. Instead, a high ring of fire appeared, surrounding Vlad and the three men. As they turned 360o looking for a break in the wall, the flames grew higher and hotter, forcing the men to jump back to avoid them. Turning back to see Vlad, they watched as if in slow motion as he jumped, and slammed the palm of his hand into the ground. The room gave a great lurch, and all three men fell over. Patrick was quick to look to the others. Ramanga and Elau were out cold, Ramanga was exhausted from chasing Vlad around, but Elau was just weak. Patrick was still on the ground, but he jumped up when the wall of fire vanished.


	6. Defeated

_ Well, I'm slightly upset no one has responded to my question about a sequel, but then it __**was **__a bit premature. __**Please **__let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas I could add __in, please PM them so others will get a surprise and not know what's going to happen. Thanks, AF xx_

Defeated

Vlad is about 5 metres away, but doesn't move as Patrick struggles to his feet. He pushed him back down with another wave of his hand, then turned to face the opening door.

Once again Council all rush in, looking astounded that he had managed to defeat three of their strongest all at once, and STILL didn't look tired. Vlad's face was still black, and he ignored the defeated men, walking over to his family and said quietly "We are leaving - now."

When he had that dangerous look on his face, everyone knew just to do what he said. They all vanished, except Erin. Vlad nodded to the remaining Council. "I do not take kindly to being thought a waste. If any of you were thinking of challenging me," He paused, his eyes boring into Ereterni's, who shifted uncomfortably, "then I would advise you to take heed of this event. As you see, I am prepared to take measures to ensure the wellbeing of our kind. No matter the costs. If that is three council members, then so be it."

Saying this, he turned back to the men who were cowering on the floor. With a click of his fingers, they were tied together with invisible bonds. Another click and they vanished. Only Vlad knew where they went: The argentalium cells at Garside grange. The Council's eyes bugged wide at this final action. They have never seen it before. They all started asking how he does it, but Vlad over-rode them. "We will have another meeting in three days at Garside Grange to discuss their punishment and act upon it. Until then, I want no messages or any uninvited visitors unless we are all going to die. Is that clear?"

Satisfied by the slightly affronted 'Yes' that reverberated throughout the hall, Vlad nodded to them, and, taking Erin's waist, vanished.

Chapter SIX


	7. Decision Making

_**PLE**__**A**__**SE READ:**__  
__Okay, it was kinda unreasonable for me to ask so soon about a sequel; the only thing is that I might need to change something in the next __few chapters, so any opinion is valued greatly. I know I am awful at posting when I say I will, but I have a few recommendations for you, please forgive me!__  
HyaHya,__  
Yeknodelttil,__  
Lemonybean,__  
Honalooloo.__0_

_Thank you so much for sticking with this story, and I will try to upload more regularly. The plot of this story really starts in the next few chapters, so keep an eye out for updates. AF xx_

Chapter SEVEN

Decision Making

Three days later, Vlad watched cautiously as the council filed in. He didn't like the slightly scared looks he got from some of them. Of course, he knew what they were meant to be talking about, but senses there was something else on their minds. Vlad's forehead creases slightly as he wonders how many others knew about the attempt to dethrone him. That is what they were meeting for though. They needed to decide about what to do with the three prostitutes.

They decided on the culprits being banished from the Council, stripped of all extra lands and titles, but not killed unless they commit any further crimes. Yet again, the conversation drifts towards Vlad, and he ends up in a competition with every member of the Council, plus Bertrand and the Count against him. At first he was disgusted by the idea, but then he felt Bertrand enter his mind, only briefly, but he said _You should do it in good nature. It will show them not to mess with you, and if you don't they might consider you weak._ As a compromise, Vlad reminded them of his warning about challenging him, but in the same breath he accepted their request.

They are fighting for a good few hours, until Vlad was almost wondering if this was just another, more subtle attempt to get rid of him. Certainly, if some of their attacks found their mark he would be ashed. He wasn't overly worried though. There were two reasons why not. One, he knew that, as little as the Count loved him, he would have to hunt down and destroy the culprits. The other reason was a bit more reliable though: None of their fireballs got within a metre of him. The only person who actually stood a chance was Bertrand, and even then it was far from an even match. When the council members finally started to ask for a break, Vlad let them with a smile. They wouldn't last a week of his training. He raised an eyebrow at Bertrand, and asked if they could continue. The Count's eyes bugged wide. He hadn't realised the amount of power his son held. Bertrand nodded, and took an attacking stance. The council and Count watched from the side lines sipping the goblets of blood, barely looking up when Erin, Wolfie and Ingrid slip through the door.


	8. Omnes Videntes

_**PLEASE READ**_

_Okay, I know I am mean. I haven't updated since … I actually don't know. Oops. I'm hoping to put up three chapters each for both my stories, this being the first for today. I will try to update more often, but I am really rubbish at that._

_Omnes Videntes … I can just imagine Bertrand saying that, it would sound really awesome._

_I am coming up with this as I write it, unlike most chapters, so I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed. If you haven't already, please read Let the Truth be Told, which I also hope to update three times today. AF xx_

_Chapter EIGHT_

Omnes Videntes

Vlad felt a nudge on his mind, he would normally have tensed up, but he knew that mind anywhere. It was Bertrand, asking to talk. Vlad let him in, but only with limited access, a tip he had learned the hard way "_What is it Bertrand?" _Vlad asked. "_We're both a little busy right now." "Vlad, do you remember when we were sitting in the archives, reading up on the legends of the Chosen One's powers?" _Vlad sent a mental nod, simultaneously struggling to beat the physical version of Bertrand back. _"Well, do you remember when we read about Omnes Vi__dentes__? I thought you might like to give it a try in front of the Council. It would show them, if you can do it, your adaptability, and if you don't, your willingness to try anything. I thought I would ask you like this rather than out loud, so that it is actually your choice, not a decision you are pressured into." _Mentally, Vlad sent a command, and they both stopped mid strike, at exactly the same moment.

Everyone, even the Draculas sat up a little straighter. Doing something at the same time was the same as with breathers. It didn't happen very often, and it was usually a coincidence. This time, however, it felt more planned. Vlad turned to the listening audience, who were all quiet and respectful, even Wolfie. "I am going to try to gain a new power, one that is just a legend at present. We will be attempting this in our training room down in the basement. It is more cramped, but I welcome any of you to join us." At a signal, Bertrand and Vlad sped off together, with the Count and the council just behind. Ingrid picked up Wolfie, then her and Erin sped after them too.

In the few seconds they had alone, Vlad and Bertrand flashed around the room collecting any books concerning Omnes Videntes. Vlad felt another nudge on his mind, but this time it was the Count, and Vlad just ignored it, completely blocking his mind. Vlad turned to face the entire Council, none of whom would miss the chance to try and find a weak spot of the Chosen One. Vlad opened his mind to Bertrand again, and said, _"If I get this wrong, or I can't do it, they'll never let me forget it will they?" _Now that he was here, it suddenly dawned on him what was at stake. _"You will be able to though, you've managed all the others in one session, why not this one. Sure it's a little … different, but if you get it right they will be awed by it. I mean, if it comes to it, you could just zone something and say that's what you were trying to do. You'll be fine." _

Nerves quashed, Vlad stepped forward. "You come at your own risk. Very, _very_ occasionally, I lose control for a split second and someone could end up as dust. The more noise and distraction, the more likely it is. Therefore, I ask any of you who wish to do so now, with the assurance you will not be thought any less of, and any who remain I ask to be completely silent." He waited a few seconds, giving them the chance to leave, then stepped back and said quietly, "We begin."


	9. Attempt

_I'm so sorry I didn't manage to update this week! My internet went, and then I went on holiday the next day. I literally just got back, and I have probably rushed this a little. Happy New Year everyone and I'll try to update ASAP, but probably not today. Slightly shorter chapter today, I'll also try to make them longer. Sorry, and thank you for sticking with me! AF xx_

Chapter NINE

Attempt

Yet again, Vlad let Bertrand into his head, to relay information. There was a bowl of still water in front of Vlad, who had his eyes closed, the better to focus his power. Bertrand gave him directions and Vlad's thoughts instantly focussed. The entire room was in Vlad's mind, which he found slightly annoying, but not at all distracting. He had agreed on this only after they all agreed he could lock them in one corner of his mind. There they sat, watching but not interfering as Vlad got the signal from Bertrand and his eyes snapped open, glaring black. He felt a mental, yet collective gasp at the familiar feeling racing through Vlad's body. They had all felt this; it was the feeling of the 'magic' that let them do things most people couldn't. Their fireballs, their speed, and all the other traits that were signatures of vampires all sparked this, but none had ever felt this much power. They could have all gathered together and tried to compete, but they wouldn't have anything on it.

Vlad's body was visibly shaking, but he didn't notice, he was in too deep. He couldn't have pulled out if he'd wanted, not that he did. Bertrand dropped the book in surprise. He was the most connected to Vlad, and he had trained with Vlad the most, but it seemed Vlad had been holding back on him. Bertrand, surprisingly, wasn't annoyed at this at all. He saw it as a good thing that Vlad was becoming more suspicious and less trusting. Vlad growled slightly, shaking more than ever, and a blurry image appeared in the water. It shimmered as Vlad slowly got used to it, and the Council were once again astounded by his adaptability, just as Bertrand had said. Slowly the amount of power pulsing through him decreased, until it became a more normal level for a teenage vampire and Vlad looked up from where he was. The Council withdrew from his mind, including Bertrand, and they all rushed forward to stare into the water. In the water was a perfect image of Miss McCauley, downstairs in her office looking through a report. Vlad looked up again, not shaking in the slightest, and looking as if he had just watched from the side lines too. "Come." He said, before vanishing. He reappeared downstairs, closely followed by everyone else.

Peering around a corner, the group watched Miss McCauley in her office. Sure enough, there she was, pen in hand writing a report. Vlad, who was at the front of the group, turned and grinned at them all. "For today, I am going to practise this. Then I will have complete control over it. You are welcome to visit whenever the need arises, but the tour is over for today. I ask you to leave, with the assurance that I know what I am doing. If anyone has any complaints about the leadership, I ask them to either keep their mouth shut, or come and talk to me in a civilised manner, but not today. Goodbye."


End file.
